Clay School Demo Work Complete, Contractors Praised
Photo by Eric Ayres Trending
WHEELING - After months of demolition and years in the making, work to remove the former Clay School building in East Wheeling was completed ahead of schedule and is now officially finished.
Crews from Raze International Inc. of Shadyside began demolishing the sprawling, 75,000-square-foot former school building in early April, and work proceeded at a swift pace.
Officials in the city of Wheeling are now expected to look to the future for potential development of the site along 15th Street, directly across from the outdoor football and soccer field at the J.B. Chambers Memorial Recreation Complex.
During the most recent meeting of Wheeling City Council, City Manager Robert Herron reported the Clay School demolition project was about 90% complete, with seeding and installation of a storm sewer catch basin still to be finished.
This week, the city manager said those final items have been completed, and the project is now finished.
“I do want to comment on M&G Architects and Engineers and the way that they designed that project, and then also Raze, which is the demolition contractor on that project,” Herron said. “I believe they both have done an excellent job.”
Clay School first opened its doors more than 80 years ago and operated for decades as part of the city’s public school system before closing in the 1990s. Several attempts by private investors were made to give the building new life, but none of the redevelopment efforts took root.
In December 2021, the city of Wheeling acquired the property. A study of the property’s future was conducted with input from neighborhood residents and community members, including former students and employees of Clay School. After considering the cost of renovating and repurposing the building, officials ultimately decided it should be demolished.
Asbestos abatement at the facility was completed late last year by Reclaim Co. LLC of Fairmont, West Virginia, which was awarded a $498,000 contract for the remediation. The majority of that cost was paid through a Brownfields grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Earlier this year, Wheeling City Council awarded a $459,300 demolition contract to Raze International, the lowest and best bidder among six contractors that submitted proposals. The demolition was funded through a West Virginia Department of Environmental Protection Dilapidated Properties Program grant and money from the city’s Project Fund.
According to the contract awarded to Raze, the work was scheduled to be completed by Sept. 1. However, it was finished about a month ahead of schedule.
Now that the site has been cleared, city officials are expected to shift their focus to assembling a funding package to construct a proposed indoor recreational facility on the property. Officials have indicated the facility could complement the amenities offered at the neighboring J.B. Chambers Memorial Recreation Complex.
“If you get a chance to take a look, the restoration of that site has been outstanding, and it looks terrific,” Herron said. “It certainly sets that site up for future development as determined by City Council. So I wanted to congratulate both M&G and Raze for their efforts on our behalf.”